


Through The Stars

by orcsmoocher



Category: Across the Void (Visual Novel)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Adventure, Adventure & Romance, Angst and Tragedy, Canon Continuation, Eventual Romance, Gen, Graphic Violence, M/M, Post-Canon, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Science Fiction, Slow Romance, War, and action hopefully, gonna be lots of space stuff, i will try my best, scifi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-12
Updated: 2020-07-12
Packaged: 2021-03-05 00:09:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,360
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25225138
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orcsmoocher/pseuds/orcsmoocher
Summary: Through The Stars will be a post-canon story following Captain Caelestis Elara as he realizes that even the Void is not enough to bring the Jura and the Vanguard together. With the universe split in two, it would be only a matter of time before the Void regroup for strikes on other planets. Reeling from the destruction of his homeworld, Caelestis has to choose a side once and for all as he and the crew are hunted like game animals by Void operatives on all sides.
Relationships: Eos Elara/Oberon, Pax Elara/Holmes, Zekei Sentry/Main Character (Across the Void)
Kudos: 1





	1. As The Dust Clears

**Author's Note:**

> I've never done a full series before! I hope I can pull it off - this is actually a rewrite of a meandering fic that I wrote. It wasn't planned at all and I had no idea where I was going with it, but it was about ten parts so it's kind of impressive regardless :P

A darkness lifted from his mind, though despite that fog it was very much active anyway. He was a somewhat thin man, skinny of body and short in stature. The cherry-red locks of his hair stuck out in all directions from being crushed against the pillow of his bed. It was long enough for the ends to brush against his eyes, covering them completely when adequately fluffy. His eyelids were leaden and refused to open, desiring more rest; the heightened awareness he was now experiencing only served to make him better feel the pain that pulsed through him like a cresting wave. Cuts on his skin throbbed, deep wounds that he could feel shift as his muscles began to twitch and regain their agency. His Cyber lines sparked to life, the dull, dead light brightening with electricity until it was a cheery bright pink. It wasn't normal, however: the lines that internally skittered across evidently broken bones arced dangerously, his energy wild and uncontrolled. He felt it especially along his spine - it was a lance of ice and fire simultaneously, sending shooting agony through him every time energy passed through that major highway of his body.

His sense of hearing either returned to him or he was simply made aware of it again by the sound of moving air and soft, rhythmic beeping. _Woosh_ , _beep_ . A hand of his feebly managed to find the source of the sound, laying on the cord of a machine connected to him via a mask that covered his mouth and nose. Another _woosh_ , another _beep_ , and he drew a long breath. A dull, pounding ache in his chest awaited him as his lungs inflated with air. His hand fell again to his side, exhausted with the effort. Consciousness slipped away as he tried and failed to open his eyes again. 

Some time later, his eyelids fluttered once, twice. Sweat dripped from his forehead, locks of his red hair matted to his face in clumped strands. The machine was still breathing for him. This time he strained his ears for the sound of something else - footsteps and breathing that was not his own. Slowly, his eyes cracked open and weathered the searingly bright white light that filled the room. Once his sight returned to him, he saw the tiled ceiling painted in a decorative swirling purple pattern, square fluorescent lights beating down on him from above. He squinted, and parted his lips to speak - but nothing came out. Various curses in Cyber tongue came to mind, but his throat was so dry that all he could do was let out a pathetic croak. "Nnnh…" His tongue raked along the top of his mouth and it felt like sandpaper.

The footsteps got closer. "Caelestis… you're awake," The voice pointed out plainly. It was warmly familiar, deep and smooth laced with just the right amount of concern underneath a mask of professionalism. Caelestis' suspicions were made clear when the figure's shadow passed over him, coming fully into view. Over seven feet of Romly, the man's soft chocolate-covered curls tucked into some kind of blue headcover. Stained scrubs were stretched over his huge frame. It could only be Meridian. "Can you remember anything?" 

Caelestis nodded weakly. "M… Meridian -" he began, but a finger was gently placed on the surface of the mask that covered his mouth and nose to shush him.

"Don't - not yet. I'll ask you some yes or no questions, and nod when it's 'yes', shake when it's 'no'," Meridian replied. Caelestis inclined his chin gently again to show that he understood. His pink eyes were fixed on Meridian's in the meantime. As the medic picked up a chart and a pen in silence, Caelestis noted how tired he looked. 'Tired' not being apt to describe it, perhaps - exhausted, miserable… "These will seem kind of obvious - bear with me. Can you see at the moment?" Caelestis nodded. Meridian managed to tug his lips into a small smile, his sunken eyes crinkling slightly at their corners. "Good. Can you hear me clearly?" Another nod. Meridian performed some other simple tests to gauge Caelestis' faculties until he got to the last question. "Can you tell me what your name is?" 

Caelestis' lips parted this time, though he didn't speak. Still, he mouthed his name, accenting it with a dry squeak from his throat. Perhaps if he really tried, he could articulate sounds properly - but with the mask on, it wouldn't be intelligible anyway. Meridian sighed with relief as he got the nod of the head he was looking for, tension physically releasing as his shoulders and back straightened. "I'm going to take you off the ventilator. Think you can breathe on your own?" 

The mask was pulled off of him. "So far... so good," Caelestis mumbled, voice gravelly and rough. He took a deep breath and winced, momentarily forgetting about the ache in his chest. "What the hell happened?"

Meridian sighed deeply as he briefly turned to another medical pod beside them, quickly checking the vitals of the person inside. When he finished, he pulled up a seat and sat down. His shoulders slumped with exhaustion. "You scared the fuck out of us, that's what," he remarked wryly, shaking his head. "... I'll tell you later. You need to rest." 

Caelestis shook his head stubbornly. "I want to know what I'm going through, Meridian." 

Another sigh, this one a whistling breath through somewhat clenched teeth. Exasperation, probably. The medic pulled up his chart on a handheld data pad. "When's your last memory?" 

"Ah… when we touched down on Cyber, I think." 

Meridian began fiddling with a machine attached to his IV drip. "That was fourteen days ago," he said. Caelestis' eyes widened for a moment before he regained his senses. He let out a whistling breath before his eyelids slowly became heavy. "I upped the dosage of your painkillers. It'll make you woozy." 

"Thanks, doc," Caelestis replied. A smile tugged at his lips for a brief moment before his expression turned serious. "I expect a full report for me soon." Meridian nodded gravely as he gave his captain a tentative pat on the shoulder. His Romly lightning crackled slightly, conveying a sense of calmness that eventually put Caelestis at enough ease to close his eyes and sleep. 

With a sniffle, Pax Elara flipped her wild hair over her shoulder. She began her journey from the door to her room, down the winding halls of the Atlas, and all the way through to the medical wing - no shortcuts. Half of the time she didn't even try to get inside, though. Seeing her brother's unconscious, broken body was enough the first time. Walking and moving around with music loud enough to rattle her skull was what she did to relieve stress, and - as she reasoned - it was the thought that counted rather than her cowardice. In her hands she cupped the little drone connected to her brother's VSS unit, her screen dark and cracked. She wasn't broken beyond repair, thankfully, but she would take quite a bit of work. After pulling out a pair of small wireless headphones, she stopped, reconsidered, and stuffed them back into her pocket with a sigh. "Vee, can you keep me company today?" She asked the inactive drone as she flipped a small switch contained within a back panel. A buzzing sound filled the air as her internals came to life. 

"VSS-3 AEON-Tek 3.0… initializing," Vee said to no one, thrusters engaging. She floated above Pax's shoulder as she completed her boot-up cycle. "Battery low - power save mode has been enabled. Auxiliary functions have been reduced. Personality unit…" She suddenly let out a cheerful chirp and a brief tune, spinning in place as a pair of distorted eyes shone through her cracked faceplate. "On! Hi, Pax!" 

Pax managed a weak smile - Vee was always so chipper. It was comforting, even though she was programmed that way. "Hi, Vee. I was wondering if you'd like to walk with me today." She didn't wait for an answer, instead moving forward. The tell-tale cross symbol bolted to the wall signified what wing they were about to enter. Vee followed happily, bobbing in the air to simulate a nod.

"Of course! What's on your mind, honey?" 

Pax's expression fell. "Oh, you know… I'm worried. He's alive, but… jeez," with a shake of her head, she scuffed her shoe on the floor. "We had such a stupid argument before we touched down. I want to apologize _so_ _bad_ , but he's..."

"He'll wake up," Vee added. Her voice was still its bubbly tones set by her programming, but she lowered it in pitch. She could be almost motherly when she needed to be - she was incredibly advanced for an AI construct. Pax could see why her brother liked her so much. "I can't connect to him at the moment, but he's almost ready. I can feel it." 

"I know," Pax sighed, running her hands through her unkempt hair. She'd been so distracted lately that she had forgotten to brush it. "He… he was worried that once the Void was gone, Eos and I would end up killing each other, Vee. He almost demanded that I cut contact with the Jura. I told him that I couldn't just abandon them, they were my family too, and he said…" She paused, letting out a tense breath with a hand on her heart. Vee nuzzled her cheek gently. "All he said was 'of course,' and walked away. I don't know why… it just _hurt_. He's always treated me like… like some kind of lost little lamb, and I'm still _so_ frustrated but now he's d-" She choked suddenly, tears falling near instantly. " _Dying_." 

"You can be frustrated," Vee replied simply, bobbing her 'head' in a nod. "...And he loves you, Pax."

"Sometimes… sometimes it doesn't feel like it, Vee." Her thoughts travelled backwards to all the trouble she caused him just in the period of time they were on the Atlas together. He acted calm and collected, but there was always that spark of disappointment and hurt in his eyes reserved only for her. She didn't blame him entirely - she never thought before acting - but they never did get along. Cael was so much closer to Eos than he was with her. After Eos had left home to join the Vanguard, everything between them seemed to just fall apart, it seemed.

"Oh, honey…" 

Pax kicked a pebble that had found its way onto the ship somehow. It pinged off the metal flooring until it came to rest several feet away. "Of course he didn't tell _Eos_ that he needed to ditch all of his squadmates in the Vanguard, no - he _agrees_ with them, so it's fine," Her hands flew to her head and she plucked at the ends of her hair in frustration. "Why did this have to happen? I just want my brothers without feeling like… like an outsider. Is that so much to ask!?" Vee bobbed in sympathy as the pitch of Pax's voice rose. 

Directly beside her, a sliding metal door opened quietly. Meridian stepped outside, a bag of supplies slung over his shoulder. He nodded briefly to her. "Keep it down, please, ma'am," he said politely. Most of the time he let her vent, only coming out to shush her when her anguish could be heard from inside of the otherwise sound-insulated room. He stopped and thought a moment before his eyes brightened, something occurring to him. "I have some good news, if you want to hear it," He received no response, only a pair of wide, expectant eyes as both Pax and Vee listened intently. "Caelestis has been drifting in and out - he woke up briefly before falling back asleep. He should be ready for visitors very soon." 

Despite herself, Pax snorted as she was consumed with relief, wracked with helpless laughter. She thought that hearing her brother was awake from a _coma_ would be a little more dramatic. Like in the Dynamas dramas she watched - she would hold his hand and he'd squeeze if he heard her, slowly opening his eyes as everyone was gathered around to cheer… but apparently those weren't accurate after all. It was so anti-climatic that she had to laugh… but really, it wasn't that funny. Honestly, she felt bad for not being there for him - but Meridian didn't let many visitors in anyway for fear of them getting in his way. Vee spun around in a circle, playing a brief celebratory tune at a quiet volume. 

"Oh, finally!" Vee cheered. "I can't wait to be connected with him again - I miss having his voice in my head." 

"I'll let you know when he wakes again. He should have his family when I give him his prognosis," Meridian added, nodding to himself. "I'm going to go spread the word. Go inside if you like, but _don't_ try and wake him." Pax nodded. Apprehensive, she crept into the medical wing after Meridian took his leave. 


	2. Woken Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pax talks about her feelings.

Caelestis stumbled to his feet, clutching his head in both hands as a thin stream of blood trickled from his nose, causing his breaths to sputter and bubble strangely; spattering flecks of red over his dirty uniform. He spat, a metallic taste filling his mouth. A hand thrust forward to catch him before he could stumble and fall. "Are you okay, Captain?" A man's voice - high, shaky, and terrified. Caelestis looked up to see a green-faced Holmes staring at him with wide, tear-filled eyes. The poor Sygog trembled from head-to-toe, struggling even to stay stable on his prosthetic legs. He physically tore his gaze away from the body behind him by turning his back to it as he helped Caelestis stand. The Cyber, however, said nothing in response. Instead, his gaze was transfixed on the gorey display ahead of him. Prince Barlow lay on his belly, a veritable torrent of fluid still gushing forth from the knuckle-deep slash across his throat. His cloudy blue eyes were glassy, blood leaking from their corners like tears, face permanently twisted into a hateful grimace. The wind and bustling of the battle around them blew his once beautiful golden robes around, the sheer silk flowing almost peacefully.

Prince Barlow's killer kneeled over him, whispering cruel words into his lifeless ears. Her pink, star-pocked hair swirled around her shoulders, having long escaped its bindings in the chaos. Zaniah's eyes narrowed as she caught sight of a black cloak, turning to warn its comrades of Barlow's demise. The grip on her knife tightened until her knuckles turned white. Caelestis watched as another Void soldier was struck down, the knife flying from her fingers and piercing through the back of the soldier's helmet. As they fell to the ground with a dull  _ whump _ , Caelestis thought, still dazed, that Zaniah was a deadly shot… 

"Pixie," Caelestis croaked as he heard the door to the med ward slide open. The wild blue-streaked hair was impossible to miss… and neither was the dearly welcome sight of the little drone floating behind her. "You brought me Vee, too…" 

Pax gave him an arched look, if brief. He hadn't called her 'Pixie' since they were children. Hearing it again caused her heart to quirk - was it nostalgia that she was feeling, or something else? She pushed that odd feeling aside regardless, seeing the relieved grin on her brother's face. Despite the cuts and bruises, he seemed to look happy, smiling wide enough to where his eyes crinkled at the corners. She couldn't help it - she smiled, too. She grinned, breath becoming shaky, and started to cry. 

Caelestis lifted a hand, careful to avoid jostling his IV lines. Slowly, he cupped her cheek, rubbing along one of her Cyber lines gently. The colors of their lines mingled into a pleasant violet, the touch tingling. Pax felt a rush of his relief wash over her as their nervous systems met for that brief moment, but she also got a taste of the sheer amount of pain he was experiencing… he pulled away as he saw her wince. 

"I'm sorry," He said, sweeping a lock of her hair out of her face. Pax shook her head.

"It's okay - really…" She breathed. "Please don't apologize. Not until you're out of here." 

Caelestis fixed her with a sudden, tender look that struck her with a bout of weakness. It was a stare so purely vulnerable that it nearly broke her heart on impact - her brother was usually so reserved, she could even count the number of times he's cried on one hand. That look added to his sunken eyes, sallow skin, and body attached to more machines that she could count - it was the look of someone on death's door; like he was a frail old man about to voice his final regrets. "I've had a lot of time to think," he began, his voice so weak Pax had to lean in to hear him. "I haven't been a good brother to you." 

A fresh wave of tears pricked at her eyes. "I haven't been a good sister," She mumbled, shaking her head. More memories flashed behind her eyes - childhood ones when all three were together, looking out for each other and going through the spats that normal siblings go through. It finished with the sounds of fighting and blaster fire - what did they have now? Eos was on the enemy team and Caelestis wasn't even far behind. Even the destruction of  _ Cyber _ wasn't enough to end the war - all they'd managed was an uneasy ceasefire. Soon enough, conflict would break out again… and she was scared. Terrified. She'd been in battles before, but never on the frontline. She was always squirreled away by the General before she could see a single shot fired, but now she couldn't stop herself from staring at the destruction every time she closed her eyes. "I want… I want us to be a family again. I almost lost everyone, Cael. I can't do it again - I can't." 

"You don't have to do it again." Caelestis replied. Pax knew what that meant, but even her fear of further conflict couldn't stop her from feeling uneasy. Fighting for the oppressed in the galaxy had become so ingrained in her identity, she felt, that to stop doing so would be worse than a betrayal of her Jura comrades - she would be betraying herself, too.

"But -"

"Don't. You know what Dad was like when he came back from his tour on Apri - chewed up in the war machine and spat out broken. That's what happens to soldiers, Pax, and if you keep it up it's what will happen to you," He let out an explosive sigh, coughing a little. "You're so bright and clever… you could do a lot of good if you would just use your talents to foster peace. This war must end one way or another, so don't be another body in the pile." 

"You know how I feel about the Jura," Pax replied. She was too tired to be angry, really, or perhaps she was finally open to discussion. Either way, she did not frown and she did not snap like she expected herself to. She simply listened. 

"I do, and I'm trying to understand. But from my perspective, the Jura were the ones who nearly shot my brother to death and tortured his partner until he was crippled for life. It was the General who  _ used  _ me for her own ends and - if it is the whole truth - it was because of the Jura that the Vanguard became distracted, letting the Void fester beneath the surface," Caelestis replied. "There are good people on both sides, but the war  _ must _ end. The Jura have dragged it on for far too long and I  _ don't _ want you to die in this utterly pointless war."

Pax fell silent. 

"I'm sorry I can't stay neutral anymore." Caelestis mumbled. "I was always told that I had to pick a side… but no matter what happens, just know that I love you, Pixie." 

"I… I love you too, Cael. I'm so,  _ so _ happy you made it." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I HATED Pax in the original book. If you're expecting her to have the same conflict and act the same way......... don't. lol

**Author's Note:**

> Thus ends the first chapter! I'm going to try and keep them relatively short, or at least cut them off where it feels natural - I can get pretty rambly at times. I hope you all enjoyed it!


End file.
